Agios Nikolaos, capital of the Prefecture of Lasithi, is one of
the most highly developed tourist towns in Greece.
It lies along the west of the
Mirabello bay. The main road axis of the island passes right outside the city limits , connecting it with
Iraklion (66 km) to the west,
Sitia to the east (70 km) and Ierapetra to the south (36 km).
Agios Nikolaos is the administrative, communications, cultural and commercial center of the Prefecture, with approximately 8500 inhabitants.
The climate in the area is mild with extremely low humidity. It is an ideal place to relax and recover one's energy.
Access
There is frequent bus service from Iraklion. There are boat connections all year round from the port of Agios Nikolaos to
Piraeus. During the summer there are also connections with the islands of Cyclades and with the islands of
Kassos, Karpathos, Kos. Tours to
Santorini are also organized during the summer.
Agios Nikolaos does not have an airport but the city is served by the airports of
Iraklion (Nikos Kazantzakis) and Sitia.
Attractions
The sea in Agios Nikolaos is superb and the surrounding area of the city is noted for its sandy beaches and beautiful bays - Kitroplateia, Ammos beach, EOT beach and Ammoudi are within walking distance from the city center.
The landmark of the city is definitely the small lake, known as
"Voulismeni" that is located in the center of the city, at the foot of the cliffs. Its shape is circular with a diameter of 137m.
According to the mythology, the goddess
Athena used to take her bath in this lake. The depth of the lake is 64 m and was connected to the sea only recently, with a canal opened at 1870.
It is an especially picturesque site with many open-air cafes and restaurants along the bank.
Small boats leave the harbor to visit the Venetian fortress of
Spinaloga, near
Elounda .
Every summer the Municipality of Agios Nikolaos organizes cultural events,
music and dance events, theatrical
performances, exhibitions, shows. Also, during the Naval week,
artistical swimming, water skiing, wind-surfing contests are organized.
Agios Nikolaos also possesses the second finest
Archaeological Museum in Crete, where splendid archaeological
findings from throughout the Prefecture of Lasithi are exhibited.
History
In the site where the town is built today, used to be the ancient
"Lato pros Kamares", which was the harbor of
"Lato", an important and powerful city located near the
village of
Kritsa.
The tower of Mirabello-Old gravur |
In the Roman and the first Byzantine
period it also served as a harbor.
During the Venetian occupation, the Venetians built
the fortress
Mirabello(meaning beautiful view), in the site where the
Prefecture building stands today. Nothing of the fortress is saved today, but it gave its name to
the Prefecture and to the bay, that is called Mirabello.
When the Venetians built another port in the area of Elouda in the northwest,
named
"Porto di San Nicolo", the importance of the harbor of Agios
Nikolaos lessened.
The city is named after the small Byzantine church of Agios Nikolaos,
located on the peninsula. The church has fine frescoes from the 8th, 10th and 11th century.
Facilities
Agios Nikolaos has numerous and high-quality tourist accommodation of all types and class.
Some of the oldest hotels are located in Eleftheria square, but there are many new fine hotels not
only in the town, but all along the coast. There are also many cafes, restaurants, bars and shops.
Useful
Municipal Tourist Information Office:
21A S. Koundourou Str. beside the bridge, open daily from 08:30 until 21:30 for information, maps, brochures and currency exchange.
Tel:+30 28410 22357, Fax.: +30 28410 82534, E-mail: infoagn@otenet.gr
